How To Learn A Language Day Or Night — Without Even Realizing It!

“I would love to learn another language – I just don’t have the time!”

Nine out of ten times, the person saying these words isn’t being completely honest. In reality, we simply have to be a bit more organized and show some initiative. When it comes to language practice, it’s often enough to use your time more efficiently and to jump at any opportunity to put your new knowledge to use.

Here are a few simple tips on how to make your journey of learning a new language a success:

1. Read Newspapers in a Foreign Language

Buy an international newspaper! Don’t be discouraged if you don’t understand every last word. Try to grasp the meaning of the words from their context, or underline them, look them up in a dictionary later and write them down in your own custom vocabulary book. If you’re on the go, make a quick note of this new vocabulary on your phone.

2. Fitness Training for Body and Mind

Find a podcast, audiobook or some lively music in your target language, and listen to it while you work out. You’ll get double the training, and the time you spend exercising will seem to fly by!

3. Go Out to Eat

The next time you find yourself ordering food from another culture, try to do it in the language of the person serving you. The important thing is to overcome your shyness of speaking a new language out loud and to get used to the way it sounds.

4. Make Friends With Your Foreign Neighbors

Go out to lunch with that co-worker of yours from another country, find a conversation topic and ask them to correct your mistakes and pronunciation. If you have a foreign neighbor, organize a dinner and put your skills to the test. It might even be the beginning of a new friendship!

5. The Well-Earned Evening

There’s nothing better after a long day’s work than sitting on the sofa watching a movie or reading a book. Why not use this downtime to combine relaxation with something useful? Watch a foreign film in its original language with subtitles, or, if you’re more of a book lover, try reading a children’s book in your target language.

6. Download an App

The best first step to learning a language is downloading a respected app to your phone. Intuitive language-teaching apps like Babbel help users engage in real-life conversations from their very first lesson. It’s available on all mobile devices and designed around bite-sized 10 minute lessons. Try Babbel for free now!

Ready to give language learning a shot?

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